Next time you see him, congratulate Josh for doing pretty well in his first foil tournament. Staying true to his French roots, he even used his French grip!

As a reminder, there is no fencing this Thursday. Instead, wear your fat pants and enjoy your tryptophan-induced stupor. David will be teaching this Saturday.

In the meantime, remember that we have now studied three takings of the steel (prises de fer):

le croisé, used when the opponent’s hand is at or a little above his shoulder;

the bind (le liement), also used when the opponent’s hand is at or a little above his shoulder, and

the opposition, used when the hand is below the opponent’s shoulder.

And, finally, here’s a little fencing history: Denis Diderot was an Enlightenment thinker and is most famously known for his Encyclopédie, a general encyclopedia published in France in the 1700s. (Some of the Enlightenment’s best thinkers contributed to the Encyclopédie.) The Encyclopédie contained an entry titled “Thirty Principles of Fencing.” Here are a few of the entries.

The widest movements expose more of your body to the enemy.

When one breaks measure, it is useless to parry.

If one does not parry the final thrust, one should break measure.

When the enemy breaks the measure on your attack, pursue him with haste but with prudence.

When the enemy himself breaks measure, do not pursue him because he wants to draw you forward.